With the vaccination programme marching ahead and restrictions easing, both employers and staff are turning to the future. As part of that, one of the most important things for both to consider will be returning to the workplace.
After many months of remote working, employers now need to decide whether to plan for a full return to the workplace, or whether hybrid working could be the best way forward.
We will be taking a look at issues linked to hybrid working and a return to the office in the run up to restrictions hopefully easing on 21 June.
As we are in Mental Health Awareness Week, this article focuses on hybrid working and the impact it can have on mental health and wellbeing.
What is hybrid working?
Hybrid working is commonly understood as a mixture of working in the normal workplace and working remotely which can include working from home. Of course, in the COVID-19 pandemic most remote working has been at home.
It’s important to acknowledge that hybrid working will not suit every employer nor, indeed, every employee. However, statistics show that the number of people interested in or considering hybrid working is on the rise, with people seeing the benefits of both some time in their normal workplace and some time working elsewhere.
According to a YouGov survey from September 2020:
- most (57%) of those who were working before the COVID-19 outbreak and who intend to stay part of the workforce said that they wanted to be able to continue working from home, at least some of the time
- four in ten people who never worked from home before COVID-19 said that they wanted to be able to work from home once the crisis is over
Does hybrid working help support employees’ mental health and wellbeing?
In a previous blog from May 2019, I discussed the fact that a rise in working from home pre COVID-19 had helped to tackle workplace stress with many employers using flexible and agile working, such as working from home, to improve employee wellbeing and work-life balance.
Of course, a lot has happened in the two years since I wrote that blog!
Whilst homeworking was already increasing before the pandemic, according to the ONS, that increased to approximately 46.6% of people in employment in the UK doing some work from home during the pandemic.
As we emerge from an unprecedented year, the next challenge for employers is dealing with the impact of the pandemic on employee’s mental health and wellbeing.
Many of the issues raised in my blog from last year on Working at Home: The impact on mental health and wellbeing will still apply, albeit with employees splitting their time between home (or another location) and the normal workplace.
For many people, spending some time working from home will bring flexibility and benefits in terms of their mental health and wellbeing. However, not everybody will see those benefits, wanting more face-to-face interaction with colleagues and having a physical boundary between work and home life.
In addition, there has been discussion of a “right to disconnect”, something which already exists in France and other countries. In what I anticipate will be an area in which we will see increased discussion, the idea of a “right to switch off” was raised by the TUC in front of the House of Lords Select Committee on COVID-19.
On the other hand, some employees are likely to be anxious about working alongside others in the workplace, using public transport and changing routines.
As such, the challenge for employers will be looking at their employees on an individual, case-by-case basis.
Whatever the conclusions reached, employers will need to discuss issues and concerns with staff to ensure that any return to the office either on a full-time or hybrid model is handled safely, smoothly, empathetically and in compliance with the law.
If you would like to discuss any employment law or practical issues around hybrid working, then we are here to help. Please contact your usual member of our Employment team.
